Sen. Berger Attends First Day of In-Person Instruction at Mount Airy High School

Berger spoke to teachers, administrators, and students at Mount Airy High School’s first day of classes

Berger has pushed for parents to have option of full in-person instruction, which is supported by near-consensus expert opinion

Harvard public health experts: Prohibiting kids from returning to classroom is “an educational disaster that some children may never recover from”

Raleigh, N.C. — Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) has been encouraging Gov. Roy Cooper to provide parents with the option of full in-classroom instruction for their children, in line with near-consensus expert opinions from the CDC, Harvard University, and others.

Today, Sen. Berger joined students, administrators, and teachers for the first day of in-person instruction at Mount Airy High School, which is operating in person under “Plan B.”

Sen. Berger met with staff and spoke in front of students during a civics class.

Sen. Berger said, “I’ve been advocating for parents to have the option of in-person instruction for their children, and I thought it’s only fair that I personally join teachers and students on the first day of classes. The Mount Airy principal, staff, and administrators have done an incredible job preparing for this school year. I was impressed with how well the first day of classes went.”

Sen. Berger continued, “Gov. Cooper’s school plan, which allows some districts to prohibit in-person instruction, is a recipe for failure for students from less fortunate households who can’t afford ‘learning centers’ or private tutors. Parents need the option of full in-person instruction.”

As a reminder, Republicans have increased public school funding by large amounts since coming into power in 2011. Education funding in North Carolina has increased by $968 per student in just four years, and $1,748 per student in nine years.